By 
AN ASSESSMENT will be carried out this morning at the site of a gorse fire in Ballygawley.
At one stage yesterday, 80 firefighters using 15 appliances tackled the blaze which stretched for a mile between Ballygawley and Sixmilecross.
The alarm was raised at 2pm yesterday.
Fire units from Pomeroy, Dungannon, Clogher, Fintona, Strabane, Cookstown, Armagh, Maghera, Castlederg, Portstewart, Ballyclare, Carrick, Ballymoney and Magherafelt were involved in the operation.
The Northern Ireland Fire Service last night said they were scaling down the operation and would monitor the area overnight.
“Assessments of the site will begin in the morning,” added a spokesperson.
“An amber weather warning remains in place for wildfires. Please stay vigilant to the risk of fire in the countryside and continue to follow our safety advice. If you see a fire, call 999 immediately.”
An aspect of today’s assessment will be to establish how the fire started.
A separate fire in the Sawel Mountain region of the Sperrins Mountains yesterday is believed to have been started deliberately.
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